Lost and Found (Masters & Mercenaries: The Forgotten #2)(119)

“I swear if you touch her, I’ll kill you,” Owen said.

“In a few hours you’ll be on your way to Beijing. I don’t think you’ll do anything to me.” Green dismissed him utterly. “Now we need to talk about where that package is because I might have something McDonald called the cure, but I’m going to need the rest of her research. I think you have it. If we’re going to restart Project Tabula Rasa, I need the background materials.”

Something tightened in Owen’s eyes, like he was trying to tell her something. Like he was desperate for her to do something. Or not do something.

“I don’t know where it is.” She breathed a sigh of relief as that tightness eased. “We were talking about it when you decided to nearly murder us all.”

“Again, apologies.” Green gave her a courtly bow and offered her a hand up.

She stared at him like he was a snake ready to strike.

“Let him help you,” Owen said. “He won’t hurt you as long as you do what he wants. That’s the deal we’re making, Levi.”

“You’re not in any position to make a deal,” Green replied. “But I’ll take it because I was already planning on doing that. Dr. Walsh will find me a perfectly pleasant companion as long as she behaves. And as long as she behaves, you’ll be fine in my custody as well.”

He would hurt Owen. Of course he would. He would use Owen to force her to comply. She put her hand in Green’s and allowed him to help her up. She was unsteady on her feet for a moment.

This was really happening. She wasn’t going to wake up and turn over in bed and tell Owen about the crazy dream she’d had. This was happening, and she was going to be taken and Owen was going to be taken.

“It’s going to be okay, Rebecca,” Owen said. “I want you to know that I love you. Survive. They’ll come for you.”

“You can believe that all you like.” Green dropped her hand. “But I think after you realize what you can do, the difference you can make in the world, you won’t want anyone to come for you. I’ll take care of everything else and all you’ll have to do is your research. Nothing will touch you. You can spend days and days in your lab, your every need met. You’ll thank me one day, but I do need that package. It wasn’t in your office or apartment. I need to know where you put it so we can begin again.”

“You’re not going to restart anything at all without me,” Paul declared, his shoulders squaring.

He’d started all of this. There was one thing she was absolutely certain of. “I’m not working with him.”

Paul’s eyes narrowed. “I think I have some leverage here. I want her dead. I want you to kill her right now.”

Levi Green turned. “You want her dead? Not a problem.”

Becca’s heart seized as Green pulled his gun.





Owen tugged at the ties that held his hands. They’d bound his hands to the chair, pulling each behind him and zip-tying him to either side. They’d left his feet free, but his bloody feet weren’t going to do him any good if Levi Green shot Becca.

Why? Why would he do that?

A heavy hand hit his shoulder and held him there. “Don’t move.”

Donnie Lennox stood over him. The CIA agent was a hulking mass of muscle, and Owen was trying to figure out how to take him out. He would have to if Green was going to hurt her.

Green flipped the gun around and offered it to Huisman.

“Becca, get behind me.” That hand on his shoulder tightened, but Owen couldn’t leave her out in the open like that. He couldn’t watch her die. He’d been calm because he’d known Green wouldn’t physically hurt her as long as she complied. He’d been willing to go with MSS calmly if it meant Becca lived and remained unhurt, but he would fight like hell now.

Nothing mattered. Nothing except her. She had to stay alive because his brothers would come for her. They wouldn’t leave her behind, and Green was wrong about Big Tag. Big Tag might hate what he’d done, but MSS better get everything they wanted quickly because Big Tag wouldn’t leave even a man he didn’t like behind.

He did have a family. And he wasn’t about to lose the newest member now.

Becca stood there, seemingly frozen in place.

“Get behind me.” He would take that bullet first.

Becca looked to him, her eyes round with fear.

A hole opened inside him because he couldn’t protect her. He couldn’t fix this. She was about to die and he couldn’t fix it.

“You want her dead?” Levi stalked to where Huisman stood, his skin having gone pale. “You do it. You want to work for me? Prove to me you can handle it.”

Huisman reached out and took the gun with shaking hands.

A nasty smile spread across Levi’s face. “Do it. All you have to do is pull the trigger and your enemy is dead. You’re the man, right? You’re better than she is. You deserve this. Think about it. You’re her god right now. You decide if she lives or dies.”

“Levi!” Owen shouted, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel it. Pain ripped through him as he twisted his wrists, trying to get his hands free. “Don’t do this.”

Huisman shook his head. “I can’t.”

Becca took a visible breath of relief, her shoulders coming back down as she relaxed.